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Baked aubergines with bulgur wheat

Galatia Pamboridis
Baked aubergines with bulgur wheat make a delicious homemade dish that combines simple ingredients with wonderful flavours. The aubergines are roasted until tender, while the bulgur absorbs the lovely aromas of garlic and tomato sauce.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Resting Time 30 minutes
Course Main Courses, Vegetarian
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

For the aubergines

  • 12 medium aubergines approximately 2.5 kg, cut lengthways into 1 cm-thick slices
  • Salt and pepper
  • ⅓ cup olive oil

For the tomato sauce

  • 4 Tbsp olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves crushed
  • 250 ml dry white wine
  • 800 grams canned chopped tomatoes 2 cans
  • 2 Tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • Salt and pepper

For the bulgur wheat

  • 1 cup bulgur wheat for pilaf
  • 2 cups vegetable stock

For assembling

  • 1 cup feta cheese crumbled by hand
  • 70 –90 g kefalotyri cheese grated
  • Approximately 21 fresh basil leaves
  • 150 –170 grams mozzarella coarsely grated

Instructions
 

Prepare the aubergines

  • Preheat the oven to 220°C (428°F), using the fan setting.
  • Place the aubergine slices in a colander and sprinkle them with salt. Leave them to stand for 1 hour. Rinse them under water to remove the salt, then spread them out on trays lined with kitchen paper to dry.
  • Divide the aubergine slices between two baking trays. Season with salt and pepper and brush one side with olive oil. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Turn the slices over, brush the other side with olive oil and roast for a further 15 minutes, until golden and thoroughly cooked.

Prepare the tomato sauce

  • Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté for a few seconds, just until fragrant, taking care not to let it burn.
  • Pour in the wine and let it bubble for 1 minute. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato purée, sugar, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5–6 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from the heat.

Prepare the bulgur wheat

  • Bring the vegetable stock to the boil in a small saucepan. Reduce the heat and stir in the bulgur wheat. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, until tender but not mushy.
  • Spread the cooked bulgur over a tray to cool and stop the cooking process.

Assemble the dish

  • Take a rectangular lasagne dish measuring approximately 23 × 33 cm.
  • Spread ½ cup of tomato sauce over the base in a thin layer. Arrange a layer of aubergine slices on top, overlapping them slightly. Cover with 1 cup of tomato sauce.
  • Sprinkle over half of the feta, 2 tablespoons of grated kefalotyri and 7 basil leaves. Add half of the bulgur wheat. An easy way to distribute it evenly is to scatter it over the top using your hands.
  • Repeat with another layer of aubergines, 1 cup of tomato sauce, the remaining feta, 2 tablespoons of kefalotyri, 7 basil leaves and the remaining bulgur wheat.
  • Finish with a final layer of aubergines, the remaining tomato sauce and the last 2 tablespoons of kefalotyri. Sprinkle over the mozzarella and add the remaining basil leaves.
  • Make-ahead tip: At this stage, you can cover the dish with cling film and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours.

Bake

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F), using the fan setting. Make sure the dish has reached room temperature before baking.
  • Remove the cling film, if used, and cover the dish with aluminium foil. Bake for 30 minutes.
  • Reduce the oven temperature to 175°C (347°F) and bake for a further 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 6–8 minutes, until the cheese starts to turn golden.
  • Allow the dish to rest for at least 30 minutes before serving.
  • Enjoy this delicious, comforting dish with family and friends
Collections Buffet dinners, summer